New York, January 23, 2026, 15:50 (EST) — Regular session
- Boston Scientific shares climbed in late U.S. trading, edging ahead of a weaker healthcare sector.
- Updates from competitors kept the spotlight on pulsed-field ablation, a rapidly expanding treatment for atrial fibrillation.
- Boston Scientific’s Feb. 4 earnings report is the next key catalyst investors are eyeing.
Shares of Boston Scientific Corp edged up roughly 1% to $92.20 in late afternoon trading on Friday, fluctuating earlier between $90.89 and $92.33.
Investors are being nudged to watch pulsed-field ablation (PFA), a newer technique for treating atrial fibrillation—an irregular heartbeat linked to higher stroke risk. PFA delivers short electrical pulses to target faulty tissue, sparking a fierce battle for market dominance.
This is critical now since the winners in PFA can outpace the broader medical-device market in growth, while the losers risk declines in procedure volumes and pricing. Boston Scientific’s pipeline and recent deals only intensify scrutiny, with results expected in the coming weeks.
Boston Scientific slid even as the Health Care Select Sector SPDR fund dipped roughly 0.5%. Johnson & Johnson climbed around 1.2%, but Medtronic and Abbott Laboratories fell.
Johnson & Johnson executives told investors this week that growth in electrophysiology has cooled off, even while cardiovascular sales boosted its medtech unit. Tim Schmid, J&J’s worldwide chairman of medtech, described the company as “resolute and confident” amid mounting competition in PFA. Boston Scientific’s Farapulse system is one of the key players driving that contest. MedTech Dive
J&J posted fourth-quarter sales of $24.6 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.46. The company also laid out 2026 guidance, projecting a sales midpoint near $100.5 billion and an adjusted EPS midpoint around $11.53, according to its investor release.
Boston Scientific is giving investors plenty to chew on. Last week, it struck a deal to acquire Penumbra for roughly $14.5 billion, pricing the target at $374 a share in a mix of cash and stock. The company plans to fund the purchase mostly through new debt and existing cash reserves. Boston warned the deal would shave $0.06 to $0.08 off adjusted earnings per share in the first full year post-close.
CEO Mike Mahoney described the Penumbra acquisition as a “home run” and “financially compelling” during a conference call. A Truist analyst added that the deal addresses a key gap in Boston’s neurovascular lineup. Reuters
But plenty could still derail the story. PFA’s space is crowded, and changes in safety views, pricing, or procedure volume could swiftly shake up market share. On the M&A front, the Penumbra deal hasn’t cleared all approvals yet, and with debt backing these acquisitions, any slip-up in execution could hit harder than expected.
Boston Scientific is set to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Feb. 4, with a conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET. Investors will be watching closely for any shifts in 2026 growth forecasts, updates on PFA momentum, and how the Penumbra timeline might impact margins and leverage.
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